Guillermo Del Toro has committed to haunted house movie Crimson Peak as his next directorial effort

While Guillermo Del Toro has dozens of projects in various states of development, it should still be taken with a grain of sand that he has committed to directing a project. Del Toro has become known for dropping in and out of projects at various stages. But, this news does seem much more concrete than in prior announcements since it takes into account a timeline for other movies he is working on.

Del Toro will direct CRIMSON PEAK, a haunted house film in the vein of THE HAUNTING and THE INNOCENTS, according to Deadline. In fact, this is an old project he was working on from a long time ago. According to Del Toro, “It was the first one I wrote after PAN'S LABYRINTH, and I sold it to Donna Langley at Universal ,” he said. “She loved it, I was going to direct it, and then HELLBOY II happened, and then I was off to New Zealand for THE HOBBIT. Donna suggested I move aside and produce it. It went out to directors, but I didn’t quite like anyone for it. Finally I went through the experience of PACIFIC RIM with Warner Bros and Legendary, and it was the best experience I have ever had making a a movie, period. I had a really good working relationship with Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni, and they asked what I wanted to do next. I sent them AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, I sent them THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, another project I’ve tried to do for 20 years. I also sent CRIMSON PEAK, but didn’t expect a reaction because it’s not a typical Legendary movie. Much to my surprise, Thomas Tull called 9:30 at night on the day I sent it and said, ‘I don’t know how it ends, but I am on page 45 and I love it.’ Next day, Jon Jashni called and said we think it’s the best project for us, just the right size.”

Legendary, who is producing the film now that Universal is no longer involved, is also where Del Toro created PACIFIC RIM which is poised to be a huge success from the early viral videos and artwork. Production is set to start in 2014 for CRIMSON PEAK which will allow Del Toro time to do the press for PACIFIC RIM and direct the pilot for THE STRAIN series at FX.

But what is CRIMSON PEAK? Del Toro says it is “a very set-oriented, classical but at the same time modern take on the ghost story. It will allow me to play with the conventions of the genre I know and love, and at the same time subvert the old rules.” He goes on to cite movies like THE EXORCIST, THE SHINING, and THE OMEN. He is going for a big budget horror film, which is something we don't generally see these days. But, if PACIFIC RIM opens huge, Del Toro will have a blank check to make whatever he wants.

Del Toro offered this update on AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS: “[LegendaryPictures] love it, but we just finished PACIFIC RIM. They want to let that film happen and then my hope is, down the line we can do it. People ask how do i choose projects. All the projects in my roster are there because I love them, but the financing process is serendipity. And often, the ones I think will happen don’t, and the ones I think won’t happen, do.”